Author Archives: cmadmin

The correspondence between the good folk from Toukley (see Standing in solidarity – Friday, September 01, 2006) and the Cardinal continues. This letter, written after a visit to Redfern, received a terse and sarcastic reply that is not worth publishing at this stage.

___________________________________________

Small Church Community Toukley
Postal address c/o. PO Box 278, BUDGEWOI NSW 2262

29th September 2006

His Eminence
George Cardinal Pell
Polding House
133 Liverpool Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000

Dear Cardinal Pell,

Many thanks for your letter of 30th August 2006, the majority of its contents being a copy … Continue reading →

Can the Church love enough to listen? In listening, can it dialogue? And if it dialogues, will it change?

from Online Catholics by Mary Bryant

Whether by coincidence or serendipity I attended two talks in one week that were by fact destined to be related.

The first was the launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ statement for Social Justice Sunday titled: The Heart of the Country – Dignity and Justice for our Indigenous sisters and brothers; the second was a talk by Fr John Prior SVD which focused on the … Continue reading →

The Church Mouse has received several requests for the words of the Offertory hymn that was so political that the Mass on Sunday 20 August 2006 had to be aborted and the congregation denied the Eucharist.

The hymn has been sung pretty much every Sunday since that unfortunate day without consequence.

THE TREE UPON THE WALL
by Helen Reagan

There is something missing here.
There is something missing here.
A message that was oh so clear.
Of Love and Truth and Justice.

Chorus
But now we have the tree upon the wall.
Blessed … Continue reading →

Sunday 10.9.06 Dear Redfern folks,
We heard of your problems and I finally found you on the Web to get your address. We would like to offer you our support.

My wife and I were Father Ted supporters and he had a cottage up here near Robertson. His brother I knew at Marrickville where I practised about 50 years ago.

We were able to read most of the story on the Computer, which only confirmed what we had heard. We also read of it in the S.M.H. I am actually not … Continue reading →

From The Independent in London, Published: 08 September 2006
By Kathy Marks in Sydney

A thinly attended Friday morning mass has just ended at St Vincent’s Catholic church in Redfern, a deprived inner-city neighbourhood of Sydney. As the priest, Father Gerry Prindiville, hurries out, the front door opens to a colourful wave of humanity.

These are the parish’s most needy: the homeless, the mentally ill, the down-and-outs, many from Redfern’s sizeable Aboriginal community. Some used to attend mass, but now they come just for the free meals provided twice a week.

For 30 years, under Father Prindiville’s predecessor, … Continue reading →

Many thanks to these good people from Toukley on the New South Wales Central Coast. Not only are they upset by the injustices heaped upon the St Vincent’s community, they are standing up and loudly saying so. The following correspondence is reproduced with permission.

From: Peter Meury
Sent: Tuesday, 29 August 2006 10:48 PM
To: church-mouse@lanuera.com.
Subject: Your struggle

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Catholic Community of Redern,

Following the recent and less recent events in your Parish, we have today mailed a letter to Cardinal Pell with copies to our local Bishop, our Parish Priest … Continue reading →

Today’s 10am Mass was said by Clesio Mendes with Gerry Prindiville and a young seminarian assisting.

The Neocats behaved as though it was just another Sunday: no reference to the walkout last week; no reference to the community’s letter to Prindiville sent during the week; certainly no apology for denying us the Eucharist; nothing.

Copies of the letter were provided next to the church bulletin for people to read for themselves, and at the end of Mass, after the celebrants had left the altar, one of the letter’s signatories read it out from the lecturn while … Continue reading →

Catholic News, 25 August 2006

A group of St Vincent’s Redfern parishioners has called for reconciliation with the parish priest, Fr Gerry Prindiville, after the NSW Ecclesiastical Regional Tribunal upheld a defamation complaint by parishioner Clare Maguire against a former assistant priest.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Clare Maguire claimed her right to a good reputation had been violated by Fr Dennis Sudla, a Neo-Catechumenal priest.

The decision of the Ecclesiastical Regional Tribunal, a key church judicial body, was this week posted on the parish’s community blog, The Church Mouse, and confirmed by the offended parishioner.

Ms Maguire … Continue reading →

Sydney Morning Herald, August 25, 2006

RELATIONS between conservative clergy and parishioners in the troubled St Vincent’s parish in Redfern have taken another dramatic twist, with a church tribunal finding that an assistant priest defamed a parishioner.

In an unusual case, the Ecclesiastical Regional Tribunal for NSW, a key church judicial body, has upheld a complaint against a former assistant priest, Dennis Sudla.

Clare Maguire claimed her right to a good reputation had been violated by Father Sudla, a neocatechumenal priest.

The tribunal’s finding was this week posted on the parish’s community blog, The Church Mouse, and … Continue reading →

Dear Father Gerry,

Thank you for your letter of August 13, 2006.

It was good to see your letter acknowledge that OUR Parish “has particular characteristics, with its indigenous population and the significant heritage of Fr. Ted Kennedy’s work”. We note with interest and pleasure that this is the first time you have made such an acknowledgement.

We would like to acknowledge your request for cooperation and harmony, and your expression of an earnest desire to fulfil your role in the parish as you see fit.

At the same time we note that since your appointment over three years … Continue reading →